iTablets or iPhones? Firm fingers 50 devices in testing

iPhone OS 3.2 is in testing! Could it be for a tablet, or just an iPhone …

Devices running iPhone OS 3.2 have been spotted in online application logs, which one analytics firm believes is evidence that there are at least 50 Apple tablets currently in testing. Flurry Analytics peeked into the data that came with these devices and "reliably placed" them, geographically, on Apple's campus in Cupertino. Though this development certainly shows something is coming, there's little evidence to show that it's anything more than a standard update to the iPhone OS.

Flurry justifies its belief that these 50 devices are Apple tablets because the apps being tested were heavy in the games, entertainment, news/books, and lifestyle categories. This, of course, is what has allegedly been the focus of Apple's yet-to-be-announced tablet, which is widely expected to be media focused.

This assumption on Flurry's part may eventually prove to be true, but there is otherwise no evidence that it's tablets that are being tested. What about iPhone OS 3.2 for—wait for it—the iPhone? After all, those app categories are ones that users tend to favor on the iPhone as well, and a software update for the device may be imminent. (This is a view shared by our sister publication Wired.)

It does, however, dispel the notion that Apple may roll out iPhone OS 4.0 this Wednesday at its special media event. (At best, Apple may talk about 4.0 at the event, but the company has never historically rolled out a full point release at this time of year.) At this point, the Apple world is a group of blind men and the supposed tablet is the elephant—everyone "sees" something different from their own perspectives and no one can agree on what it is. Luckily, we'll only have to wait another 48 hours before finding out the answer. Probably.

Though this development certainly shows something is coming, there's little evidence to show that it's anything more than a standard update to the iPhone OS.

Yeah, exactly. I don't quite know where they can make the effective conclusion that this is a tablet running the iPhone OS vs, say, an iPhone/iPod touch running an internal iPhone OS 3.2 beta or something. I mean, in the comments they make as vague an assertion as they do in their analytics:

quote:

1) If this were an iPhone we were looking at, the hardware would tell us when we ask it (via the software). So we can rule out that this is an iPhone. Also, we already see verified iPhone devices testing OS 4.0 and these leave (Apple's Cupertino, CA) campus, whereas this device does not. This makes sense given the secrecy around the new tablet device as the launch event nears.

In response to a question about screen resolution and other metrics:

quote:

@ Isaac - That's a clever way to way to verify that we are unequivocally looking at a tablet device, but unfortunately the api does not pass that info. However, there are several other ways we have triangulated data the data we have that gives us confidence about what we're looking at. Some of this cannot be revealed because we believe it may be sensitive information Apple would prefer not be shared prior to launch.

I mean, I'm not doubting them, per se, but if they feel that the most crucial evidence is sensitive information, then it feels self-serving that the post is being made. It also weakens the discourse that their findings attempt to invoke. Rather than being about the stats, the discussion turns to whether or not the stats are legitimate, or even what they actually represent. It's of passing interest only, I think.

I would guess "3.2" is simply a stable code base both teams work on with each team individually focusing on more forward facing UI features specific to their device that are implemented at the application level. Roll these bits together and you've got 4.0 -- or this is all meaningless drivel from a company looking to get their name in some headlines.

Originally posted by jragosta:Their argument was that these devices stayed on Apple's campus and all of their connections were from the campus. If it were a phone, you'd expect people to take them with them when they left work.

I realize that's not conclusive, but if, in fact, their observation is true, their conclusion makes some sense.

Or they could be something so mundane as next-generation iPod Touches (with a camera! and GPS! and a pony!).

You know these random, spontaneous Apple-gasms are now officially annoying.

I'm hoping the news is that it's a new iPod nano that test your blood sugar. At least that's something that people haven't been fapping endlessly about and, therefore, would actually be a big surprise.

In fact, if it is a tablet device, I'll probably be so totally underwhelmed that I'll have to turn in my beret.

Originally posted by Hoos:You know these random, spontaneous Apple-gasms are now officially annoying.

Woah. If that happened to me, I wouldn't have anywhere near the courage you display in admitting it publicly. Respect.

quote:

I'm hoping the news is that it's a new iPod nano that test your blood sugar. At least that's something that people haven't been fapping endlessly about and, therefore, would actually be a big surprise.

If it's a tablet this week, there'll likely be a new version of iTunes. I'll bet it's even fatter, slower and bloatier than before! I'm assuming Apple have never heard of multithreading, which is why iTunes freezes up when plugging in an iPod / iPhone or accessing the iTunes Store.

Originally posted by darkowl:If it's a tablet this week, there'll likely be a new version of iTunes. I'll bet it's even fatter, slower and bloatier than before! I'm assuming Apple have never heard of multithreading, which is why iTunes freezes up when plugging in an iPod / iPhone or accessing the iTunes Store.

Is that on Windows or OS X? Because on OS X it works just fine. Mind you, it IS bloated and guest at a dozen parties, but it still works fine.

But I agree with you that iTunes is becoming a nuisance. Although I can already hear the critics when Apple breaks it up into half a dozen of components you have to install on a Window machine...

Well sure it will be - someone, somewhere thinks "End users need a better experience! One that uses flash and java together and we'll cut costs by putting everything in an Open Office database. People will love it." and then we get this crap. I gave up on iTunes in Windows for these reasons.

On the Mac Mini it is better. Though working with playlists and playback are both much better, the Apple Store takes far too long to render on screen. Especially if you have music playing. Trying to navigate the store and download is painfully slow.

I use iTunes on an iMac 27 " and on my custom built desktop computer running Windows 7 and I don't find iTunes to be slow in the least. I've never really had a problem with the speed of iTunes in general.

So Flurry Analytics "peeked into the data" on these devices and "reliably placed them" at the Apple Campus in Cupertino.

From the Flurry website:

"Flurry Analytics places a lightweight agent into an application, so that performance data are tracked, logged and reported back for analysis. This information is confidential and available only to the developer to analyze in aggregate. Individual user data is not identifiable."

I guess the words "confidential and available only to the developer" means something different when they are posting the geographic location of 50 users of someone's apps.

Originally posted by Fandid3773:So Flurry Analytics "peeked into the data" on these devices and "reliably placed them" at the Apple Campus in Cupertino.

From the Flurry website:

"Flurry Analytics places a lightweight agent into an application, so that performance data are tracked, logged and reported back for analysis. This information is confidential and available only to the developer to analyze in aggregate. Individual user data is not identifiable."

I guess the words "confidential and available only to the developer" means something different when they are posting the geographic location of 50 users of someone's apps.

This is a very good point. There are dozens of libraries and services sold to developers of iPhone apps that do such things, by the way. I do not like this at all.